Arrows have been painted on the pavement as guides to accessing Carlos Cantina Mexican Restaurant at its new location on South Stephenson Avenue/U.S. 2 on Iron Mountain’s south side. Long in downtown Iron Mountain, the restaurant has its grand opening today in its new accommodations. (Denise Lind/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Carlos Cantina Mexican Restaurant is ready to welcome the community into its new accommodations on Iron Mountain’s south side, despite a few unexpected obstacles.

The popular downtown fixture will have its grand opening today of its new location on South Stephenson Avenue/U.S. 2, with doors opening at 11 a.m. and closing at 10 p.m.

“We’ve been working hard to create something special,” the restaurant shared in a recent social media post. “We cannot wait for you to experience it.”

The journey to opening day has had some complications, not the least of which has been access to the new location — an issue that has drawn both concern and conversation from community members online.

Questions arose about traffic flow and safety near the site, particularly regarding the entrance off the highway. Some noted the area already is prone to accidents and questioned why an alternate entrance wasn’t approved.

Owner Daniel Aranda Canchola addressed the matter directly on the restaurant’s social media platform, explaining that access points were ultimately determined by the Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT.

“That’s what MDOT approved,” he wrote. “We’re working with what we’ve got.”

Efforts to improve access have been ongoing but have faced complications. According to the restaurant, attempts to collaborate with neighboring properties and agencies to expand a frontage road or create additional entry points have proven difficult.

“We went through tons of hurdles to get any access,” the business shared online. “We are still trying to better that situation as we speak.”

The business indicated they remain optimistic that improvements could come in the future, with potential updates expected later this summer.

Even as the restaurant opens its doors, the new space is not entirely finished. Additional signage and landscaping, patio décor and a second layer of asphalt is still to come.

“It’s not 100% complete,” the team acknowledged, but noted these remaining items are relatively minor and will be addressed over time.

For now, the focus is on getting open and serving customers again.

As part of the transition, the original downtown location has been temporarily closed. Plans are already in place to reopen that space in the future, though no timeline has been confirmed.